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Book an appointment today to see a specialist about having cholesteatoma surgery. Improve your hearing with this effective procedure.
A cholesteatoma is where a sac of dead skin cells forms in a pocket in your middle ear. The cholesteatoma will slowly get larger and eventually fill your middle ear and mastoid bone. The cholesteatoma can cause an unpleasant-smelling discharge and loss of hearing.
The aim is to remove the cholesteatoma and stop the discharge. It may be possible to improve your hearing at the same time
Unfortunately, surgery is the only way to remove the cholesteatoma. In addition, regular cleaning and antibiotics will help to keep any unpleasant-smelling discharge or infection under control.
The operation is performed under a general anaesthetic and usually takes 2 to 3 hours. Your surgeon will make a cut in front of or behind your ear, then they will remove the bone from around the cholesteatoma to see where it has spread to, and then remove it.
In some cases, your surgeon may need to remove the bone of your ear canal so they can remove all the cholesteatoma. If this happens, they will shape the bone behind your ear (mastoid bone) into a cavity that opens into your ear.
Like all procedures, there can be some complications, which can be serious and can even cause death.
It is good to bear in mind the possible complications involved with this type of operation:
Before you book an appointment for this type of procedure, your surgeon should inform you about the specific complications for you to bear aware of.
This is a relatively quick procedure; therefore, you should be able to go home the next day. You should be able to return to work after about 3 weeks. If your surgeon needed to shape your mastoid bone into a cavity, you will probably need to come back to the clinic several times in the first few months until the cavity has healed completely.
Protect your ear from water using cotton wool and Vaseline, and do not swim until your surgeon has told you that your ear has healed. Regular exercise should help you to return to normal activities as soon as possible. Before you start exercising, ask the healthcare team or your GP for advice. Most people make a good recovery. However, if the bone of your ear canal was not removed, some cholesteatoma may be left behind.
A cholesteatoma can damage your ear and cause serious complications. This means that having surgery is the only way you can be cured. To find out more call us on 0808 101 0337.
Author: Miss Ruth Capper MD FRCS (ORL-HNS)
Illustrator: Medical Illustration Copyright © Medical-Artist.com
Consultant ENT Surgeon
MB ChB (Manchester), FRCS Ed (ORL), MD (Liverpool)
The Beardwood Hospital
Consultant ENT Surgeon
MBBS, DLO, FRCS - (ORL - HNS)
The Kings Oak Hospital 3 more The London Independent Hospital The Runnymede Hospital The Cavell Hospital
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MBBCh DLO FRCS(Ed) FRCS ORL-HNS
The Alexandra Hospital
Consultant ENT Surgeon
MBBS, BSc(Hons), MRCS, FRCS(ORL-HNS), MPhil
The Alexandra Hospital
Consultant ENT Surgeon
MB BS BSc FRCS(CS.G) FRCS (ORL-HNS)
The London Independent Hospital
Consultant Otolaryngologist
BSc, FRCS, FRCS(Ed)
Chelsfield Park Hospital 1 more The Sloane Hospital